This a summary of my work for Brighton Pavilion locally and in Parliament from November 24 – November 30. As usual, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need my help with anything.
Housing - Revenge evictions
Since first being elected I’ve met and spoken with many tenants who are worried about asking their landlords to fix problems like damp because they fear being served with an eviction notice in response. So I was pleased to back the Tenancies Reform Bill, which will make a small change to when what’s known as a Section 21 eviction can happen, thereby helping to address the risk of revenge evictions. Good landlords have nothing to fear from this kind of regulation and I know from my surgeries that tenants really do need protecting in this way. Here’s a link to my comments during the debate.
I met constituents ahead of the debate and replied to over a hundred that wrote to me about the Bill. Sadly the Bill was talked out by two filibustering Tory MPs, but there are plans to bring back the proposal via amendments to the Consumer Rights Bill.
Government Cuts
This week I have tabled a new Early Day Motion to highlight the financial pressure on local authorities as a result of cuts by central Government. From 2010/11 to 2015/16 core central government funding to local authorities has been slashed by 40%, yet local government responsibilities have increased during this time. You can read the EDM, which calls on the Government to reverse the cuts and commit to properly funding crucial local services here.
Human Rights
I took part in a photo call with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Reprieve’s Clive Stafford Smith to highlight the ongoing detention of British resident Shaker Aamer in Guantanamo Bay.
Fuel Poverty
Next week the Chancellor will make his autumn statement and I’ve written to let him know that Brighton Pavilion residents want the Government to:
- invest in energy efficiency to help end the scandal of cold homes - allocating just 2 per cent of the Government’s current annual £45 billion infrastructure budget to housing retrofit would allow half a million low income homes to be made highly energy efficient every year
- extend and expand small business rate relief
- redirect the £15 billion roads budget into repairing and improving local roads, boosting public transport, reopening railway lines, and schemes to encourage walking and cycling
- reduce VAT on the tourism industry to 5%, putting the UK on a level playing field with European competitors and give an immediate boost to Brighton and Hove’s tourism trade.
- build on the G20 agreement to make our tax system tougher and more transparent, including by ending the use of tax havens and introducing higher penalties for companies who don’t pay their fair share.
Ending Violence Against Women and Girls
I was delighted by the Government’s announcement of £10 million to be spent on women refuges and joined Women’s Aid at a parliamentary event this week to continue to highlight the need for such services. I was the lead MP on their SOS for refuges campaign and my motion calling for the protection of funding for the national network of life-saving refuges won cross party support. It’s great to see the campaign succeed and thanks to all those who lobbied me about it too. The picture below is of myself with Director of Women's Aid, Polly Neate and the Speaker this week marking the charity’s 40th Birthday.
Last week was International End Violence Against Women day and I worked with Brighton based national charity For Our Daughters to table a new Early Day Motion. This calls for domestic and sexual violence to be designated as a sixth National Policing Priority.
Constituency news
I met students from Patcham High School during a visit to Parliament and was also pleased to congratulate the school on winning praise for their ground-breaking work on teaching Personal, Social, Heath and Economic Education (PSHE), work that has inspired my PSHE Bill. You can read about my visit to the school last year here.
Sussex University scientist Ted Morrow shadowed me for a day as part of a Royal Society Pairing Scheme. It was good to learn more about his research and I took him to an Environmental Audit Committee where the discussion was about climate change mitigation.
As well as my usual surgery for residents, and a further drop-in one at Waitrose on Western Rd, I had several constituency based meetings this last week, including one to discuss local initiatives to help prevent the radicalisation of members of our community. I also attended an Interfaith Service at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, with the theme of “Hope for Today’s World”.
Patcham LAT was talking about flooding this week and I attended to hear a presentation from council officers about their latest plans. There is an ongoing consultation and I’ll be working hard to ensure Patcham residents get the best possible protection from groundwater flooding.
CONTACTING ME
If you are a local resident and need help with case work or to find out more about my activities locally please do contact me.
I hold regular surgeries across the constituency. If you’d like to book an appointment at a forthcoming surgery please do call my constituency office.
Likewise, if you would like to know about my parliamentary work please get in touch, please do call my Parliamentary office.
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